Retelling of the story of how a rare sacred treasure from Ethiopia was rediscovered in a church cupboard in Edinburgh
A book has just been published which tells the story of how an Edinburgh minister came across a sacred ‘Tabot’ (a representation of the Biblical Ark of the Covenant) hidden away in the back of a cupboard in his parish of St John’s Episcopal Church Edinburgh.
In 2001 John McLuckie, the associate rector, was going through a cupboard when he stumbled across the object, which is of great significance to the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. It had been taken from Ethiopia over a hundred years prior and had been gifted to St John’s in 1868 by Captain William Arbuthnot who fought in British military campaign in Ethiopia. It was forgotten about ands ended up in the Edinburgh church cupboard.
Knowing how important the Tabot would be to the Ethiopians, the church made enquiries to have it returned. There was a formal handing-over of the treasure during a ceremony in 2019, which was attended by the world’s media, representatives of the Ethiopian church as well as diplomatic representatives. The event was so important in Ethiopia that tens of thousands turned out to see the Tabot’s return.
Andrew Heavens was watching the ceremony. He decided to give up his job and head over to Ethiopia to work as a journalist and find out more about the story of the tabot and how it came to Edinburgh. The result was the book "The Prince and the Plunder" which follows the soldiers, the plunder and a six-year-old prince who was also brought to Britain after the
fighting.
In 2001 John McLuckie, the associate rector, was going through a cupboard when he stumbled across the object, which is of great significance to the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. It had been taken from Ethiopia over a hundred years prior and had been gifted to St John’s in 1868 by Captain William Arbuthnot who fought in British military campaign in Ethiopia. It was forgotten about ands ended up in the Edinburgh church cupboard.
Knowing how important the Tabot would be to the Ethiopians, the church made enquiries to have it returned. There was a formal handing-over of the treasure during a ceremony in 2019, which was attended by the world’s media, representatives of the Ethiopian church as well as diplomatic representatives. The event was so important in Ethiopia that tens of thousands turned out to see the Tabot’s return.
Andrew Heavens was watching the ceremony. He decided to give up his job and head over to Ethiopia to work as a journalist and find out more about the story of the tabot and how it came to Edinburgh. The result was the book "The Prince and the Plunder" which follows the soldiers, the plunder and a six-year-old prince who was also brought to Britain after the
fighting.
